Curse

Mei Fen · May 15, 2010, 10:41 PM // 22:41

DAY 12

Yesterday I was found lying on the ground, surrounded by the corpses of Krytans and Peacekeepers. As fate would have it, those who stumbled upon the gruesome scene were supporters of the revolt and tended to my wounds, mostly burns. I was taken to their home and offered a warm but unsavoury meal, a detail to which I did not object as I was well aware that most of their supplies were taken and thus left to feed themselves with whatever they could forage.

I was told that the Krytan family had been given a proper burial and that the criminals’ corpses had been unceremoniously thrown into a blazing pyre. “Grenth may judge the dead equally, however we show no respect to murderers.” they said. Despite having different cultural beliefs, I lit a piece of incense near the graves, meditated and prayed for their safe departure under the questioning stare of the villagers. I could hear them whispering about my “strange” ritual which seems so normal and fundamental to me.

The members of this small village insisted that I remain one more night in order to regain my strength and I would have refused if not for the numbness in my left arm. It does not seem to be broken; rather the flesh is sore from when I collapsed in an awkward position. Regardless of the state of my injuries, I will leave tomorrow with the earliest opportunity. My presence here endangers the lives of these people along with my own.

Mei Fen · Jun 06, 2010, 09:23 PM // 21:23

DAY 13

Deceit runs far deeper than one would think.

While sitting quietly inside the small Krytan home, a young girl rushed inside, her face brimming with tears. I asked her to tell me the reason and she presented a torn cloth doll which I easily sew back together. Her face lit up into a grin and as she examined the toy, she saw my bandaged arm and said something horrifying.

“The man in white clothes will heal your arm!”

I calmly asked her to explain.

“I saw mommy talking to a man in pretty white clothes! He said he will take care of you!”

Thanking the child, I got up and left the house despite the constant pain in my legs and saw some of the villagers gazed at me intensely while my host ran up to me suggesting that I rest. I could see the fear in her eyes. I whispered that she had made a mistake and I fled. Ignoring the pangs I ran until it was unbearable to even stand, finding shelter in a small cave under a cliff overlooking what appeared to a farmhouse surrounded by crops.

Something was amiss. After watching for quite some time, I did not see anyone in or around the house and with so much land that needed tending it surely meant that the caretakers were gone; or rather taken. I mustered what strength I had left and made my way towards the seemingly abandoned home which, if indeed its inhabitants were no more, could not have been in such a state for too long as the harvest was still in good condition.

After reaching the entrance, my thoughts were confirmed: a scroll was spread across the door and informed that the entire family had been taken away by the White Mantle for refusing to worship their “Unseen Lords”. The house was ransacked and most of the furniture was destroyed, however I managed to put together something on which I could rest.

Mei Fen · Jun 18, 2010, 12:19 PM // 12:19

Chapter 1 - Saramut
part 1

“For the first time since I have set foot in Lion’s Arch I long to return to my beloved Cantha. The smell of the cherry blossoms, the serenity of our ceremonies and even the glow of the moon which seems so different here in Kryta; I yearn for these things. My recent failures have given birth to a growing black stain within my heart and soul, and although I have overcome other such situations, this time I feel that I should simply give in.”

She stopped writing as she heard sounds of movement. Mei Fen quickly placed her writing instruments inside her leather bag and carefully listened for further noises, pressing her ear against the cold mud brick wall. All was silent.

“Perhaps it was my imagination.”

Just as she sighed in relief, it happened again. There was someone in the next room. Slowly, she crept towards the source of the noise, first peeking from the edge of the door so as not to alert the intruder of her presence. The chamber was probably used to store food and supplies judging by the remains of crates, shattered pottery and torn sheets, the latter being piled up in a corner. It moved. Acting swiftly, she delivered an upwards kick to the bundle of cloth, knocking it in the air and causing a distinct sound known as clucking. The panicked bird fled the abandoned home, leaving a trail of dust, feathers and an awe-struck Mei Fen.

“Kei na Kai! That blasted animal made my heart skip a beat! I should leave this place and return to the Shining Blade camp immediately.”

She flexed her arm a few times to see if it had recovered and left the house, lost in thought trying to visualise her exact whereabouts. Scouting the horizon, her body froze as her black eyes gazed upon a foul construct made of what appeared to be shimmering obsidian. The golem was forged from a multitude of shards which gravitated around a spherical core radiating a most wicked magic, a part of the shards forming a bow in mid-air. It drew the string.

“Dodge it!” said a voice.

As the arrow was released, Mei Fen felt as something heavy knocked her from the shaft’s path, narrowly avoiding a swift death. As she lay on the ground, she saw that a member of the Shining Blade had just saved her life.

“Who are-“

“Introductions later! First we have to kill this thing!” The man seemed alarmed by the construct’s presence, leading Mei Fen to believe that it was no ordinary foe. The creature seemed just as alarmed by the appearance of a second enemy and did not shoot another arrow. “Don’t get close to it or you’ll be torn apart. It’ll probably launch flames towards us, can you do something about that?”

“Can it be harmed by its own powers?” She feared that casting spells on an unknown foe may backfire and kill them both, however she had a plan in mind. “If yes, then you must make it attack you.”

“Are you sure about this?” He seemed worried, but Mei Fen didn’t answer. Left with no choice, he shot an arrow towards it, but the shaft was instantly crushed between the shards of stone and caused the golem to acknowledge him as an enemy. As predicted, it conjured an arrow of fire and launched it, leaving a trail of flames and smoke. A mere second before it reached its intended target, the blaze vanished.

Mei Fen was now wielding an unseen bow and released an ethereal projectile which then turned into white flames. She had consumed the foe’s magic, twisted it through Lyssa’s Mirror and made the power her own; the ashen blaze did not burn, but instead was reinforced by Mei Fen’s own strength, thus upon reaching the core, it pierced and shattered it. The obsidian-like shards, left without a central piece to control them, fell on the ground and lost their impure glow, rather resembling pieces of charcoal.

“Well... nobody told me you were this strong.”

“Do not come any closer!” The spell had consumed what little strength she had left, forcing her to fall on her knees. The pieces of the shattered core began to stir violently and in a matter of seconds it was restored, ready to attack once more. Something was odd. Despite being re-forged, the fragments of stone did not stop trembling and the humanoid shape began to twitch as if the connection between the members had somehow been damaged.

“We should escape while it’s still recovering.” He had rushed to her side and attempted to lift her, however she motioned for him to stop. Mei Fen was determined to end the battle. “Are you mad?”

“I can defeat it! I will not allow it to wander erratically and harm others!”

His expression revealed shock but also admiration towards this foreigner who was willing to risk her life for others. “Fine, but I’ll need a name.” he said as he offered his hand.

“Mei Fen.”

“Oisin, at your service.”

The golem had regained control over its body and resumed its assault, albeit slower and with a much worse aim. Even in her weakened state, Mei Fen could evade the arrows and had the chance to analyse the situation further. Then she saw it. Flows of energy, invisible to untrained eyes, connected the stone fragments, but the spherical piece was not the core of the construct. A powerful current of magic left the metallic orb and entered a larger shard which controlled the rest through lesser veins. She attempted to recite an appropriate spell, however the magical substance instantly dissipated and her vision began to blur.

“I am forced to rely on Oisin.”

The bonds had begun to strengthen and soon the creature would regain its former powers, easily killing its two weary opponents. Without a word, Mei Fen ran towards Oisin, pressed her forehead against his own and, with a burst of dark chaotic magic, finished the spell. Upon recovery, he was assaulted by details which he had never seen before: strange ribbons surrounding Mei Fen and a web of light in which the golem seemed to be entangled. He gazed into her green eyes, expecting an answer to his silent question.

“Wait, your eyes are...”

“Quickly! Shatter the central piece!”

He saw it - the tainted piece of stone that connected the others. He shot an arrow, but the delay gave the construct an opening and its simultaneous attack pierced the side of his chest, barely missing the heart. Oisin and his opponent fell. The battle was over.

Finally, I changed the format of the story. The 13 days are an introduction and a way to get to know her personality, with the last day being a transition from first person perspective to third person perspective. Hope you'll enjoy the new format and the more generous chapters.

I'll update whenever I have time.

Tommy's · Jun 18, 2010, 02:55 PM // 14:55

I could not stop reading ^^ Very nice written, keeps you going.

Mei Fen · Jun 19, 2010, 01:18 PM // 13:18

Chapter 1 - Saramut
part 2

“You’re really something, you know that?” He smiled at Mei Fen as she hurried to his side and removed the arrow. “I’d say that you have beautiful eyes but that’d be narcissistic.” Oisin laughed. She frowned.

“Oh, then we are both in a predicament. I would have you meet my fist but you are already wounded.” She removed his leather breastplate in order to examine the injury and to stop the bleeding.

“You sure like to get to the poi-” Mei Fen struck him with a cold glare, making him believe that it would be wise to not finish his sentence. She ripped her own sleeve and used it as a makeshift bandage, successfully stopping the flow of blood, and then secured it so it would keep the wound closed. “Than-“ She drew breath with exasperation, but he insisted. “Thank you.”

Mei Fen leaned over him, bringing them face to face, with their foreheads touching. Within a moment it was over and she stood up. “You are welcome. We will have to stay here for a short time and leave before dawn. Go inside.” It was already past midday when the battle begun.

Oisin did not object and went inside the abandoned home, watching her pick up her leather satchel and cross the field of crops into the thicket. Seeing the notice left by the White Mantle filled him with disgust and gave the urge to rip the piece of paper to shreds, however he contained his anger, thinking that it was best to leave as few tracks as possible. He found the room which Mei Fen had used, dark and small with windows of matching size. Krytan farmers had little use for homes aside from shelter and a place to sleep, most of their time being spent working in the fields. He sat down and leaned against the wall, reliving the recent battle. Soon she returned with a bundle of what appeared to be roots, a leather bottle with water and the metallic core of the golem.

“The roots are bitter and the water is stale but they will suffice.” After giving Oisin his share of food, she sat down and began to study the construct’s source of power. “When the battle had begun, you seemed to recognise the beast. Am I correct?”

Oisin finished drinking and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “They’re called Jade Bows and they’re made by the Mursaat. I don’t know much about them because they appeared out of nowhere. I heard that the people who fought the Mursaat in the Shiverpeaks and in the Ring of Fire destroyed these things, too, but that’s all I know.”

“I see.” Mei Fen continued to turn the metallic orb. While it was not large, it had to be held with two hands and it was strangely heavy. “I am curious, did someone send you to search for me or did you simply find me by chance?” She seemed quite troubled by this aspect.

“When you didn’t come back after two days, they asked me to track you down. It wasn’t too hard to find you.” He met her cold stare and felt chills down the spine. “... Which was normal since you’re not trained for such things and I’m sure your other abilities make up for it!”

She took out a clean piece of parchment and, after writing a Canthan symbol, placed it on the floor, near Oisin, and then placed the core on top. With a few gestures the spell was complete and she sat down next to him.

“What did you do?” said Oisin, intrigued by the peculiar ritual.

“It is a spell to hide our presence. Should anyone enter the room, our hiding place will be shrouded, but the ward covers a small area and it can only trick the eyes. In other circumstances I would not have needed a source of power other than my own.”

Standing close to each other, she could see his features and although she didn’t deny him being handsome, she didn’t harbour any other thoughts. Oisin, on the other hand, was clearly fascinated by her exotic visage and was quite thankful for the opportunity.

“Can you tell me things about your country? I mean, would you mind?” Mei Fen raised her eyebrows in surprise and was almost expecting for it to be a joke. “I’ve heard a few things but I’ve never been there. I’d like to visit someday.”

“You would probably be eaten by a Yeti.” She said in a teasing tone.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Say, have you always travelled alone?”

Mei Fen nodded and moved her gaze downwards. “Bad luck follows me wherever I go and even if I can take care of myself, I cannot take care of others.” The image of the child murdered by the Peacekeeper flashed in her mind.

They heard footsteps. After listening carefully, Oisin raised two fingers. They were both sure that two White Mantle henchmen would pose little threat, but their confidence was shattered and turned into horror: a Jade Bow blocked the room’s exit.

“Is it here?” The golem stood aside and made room for the man, an Inquisitor in red robes. “There is nothing here, you miscreated beast!” Used to his victims cringing when threatened, the oppressive man was quite disappointed at the lack of reaction.

“Oh will you pipe down?” His female partner walked next to him in a most lascivious manner while twirling a strand of her black hair. “The core leaves trails all over the bloody place and yet you’re upset because you found a false one. Let’s go.” Without a change in her posture she turned around and left, followed by the Jade Bow. After taking one last glance at the empty room, he also took his leave. The two waited for what seemed hours until they had the courage to speak.

“We have to get rid of that thing or they’ll track us down every time. Let’s just leave it here.”

“No, we shall make use of it. Let us wait until darkness falls.”

“What’s your plan?” asked Oisin, but he did not receive an answer. He sighed and began to speak without looking at her. “I’m going to trust you, hoping that soon you’ll return the favour.” He turned his back towards Mei Fen and lay down in a more comfortable position. “Wake me up when it’s time to leave.”

“Should you wake and I am not here,” she began, to Oisin’s surprise, “do not search for me.” He turned around and met her darkened gaze. “If you do, you will be slaughtered and devoured.”

Mei Fen · Jul 08, 2010, 04:46 PM // 16:46

Chapter 1 - Saramut
part 3

Her tone sent a current through his entire body, rendering him unable to do or say anything. He simply nodded and turned to face the wall while Mei Fen silently stared at the sky through the small window. Thousands of thoughts raced through her mind: memories of the past, judgements of the present, yet none of the future. She waited until, finally, the land was enveloped by the black shroud of night and, knowing that Oisin was pretending to have fallen asleep, she stepped outside.

Once she found a suitable location, she kneeled and placed an incense cone, lighting it with a simple touch – a trick she had learned during her travels. Cutting her hand with a dagger, she let blood drip from the cut and extinguished the burning item, releasing a great amount of pitch black smoke. There was barely enough time for her to draw breath, the darkness quickly whirled around Mei Fen and soon she was engulfed.

She opened her eyes and saw a strange, yet familiar sight: the world was governed only by black and white. The sky had turned white, while everything else had become indistinguishable, with no perception of depth or light. It was a world of shadows on paper, as letters in a tome.

“I would have never expected it to be you who completed the summoning.” The almost whispered voice came from behind her. She turned and could see a silhouette in contrast with the sky.

“I did not call for you. Where is he?”

“Come now. Do you have so little faith in me?”

“Answer my question.”

“He had other matters to attend to. However, I was sent in his steed.” The human-like shape made a bow.

“Very well, since this meeting is not pleasant for either of us I shall be quick. Find or forge me a weapon which can destroy this and consume its power.” She walked towards the shadow and placed the heavy metallic core on the ground. “You have three days.” It kneeled and picked up the object in question, probably thinking of something that could fulfil Mei Fen’s request.

“Might I ask from where you obtained this curious item?” There was a spark of interest in the tone, but she did not answer.

“Remember, three days.” She turned around and made a simple gesture upon which the entire scenery shattered like a glass painting, revealing the wall upon which it hung; she had returned. Gazing at the cut in her palm, she clenched her fist tightly and whispered profanity in Canthan. “With Lyssa’s blessing I will not live to regret my decision...”

Oisin was still lying down, pretending to be asleep. She shook him slightly.

“You may stop now. It is time to leave.”

“Nothing gets past you, does it?” He stood up and picked up his bow and quiver, although there were barely any arrows left. “We’ll reach camp in only a few hours since I know lots of shortcuts.” She followed him without saying a word as she was still recalling the previous event. Indeed, Oisin knew many hidden paths which shortened the journey considerably and with the night as their cover, the two soon reached the outskirts of the Shining Blade camp. They were immediately surrounded by guards but all suspicions vanished when Oisin was identified as one of their comrades, allowing the two weary travellers to pass. Once they had rested for a short time, a high-ranking officer came to inquire about their absence. The sturdy man bore may scars, proof that he had fought many battles, probably against the oppressive White Mantle.

“Report everything you learned while you were gone.” His tone demanded complete authority, yet Mei Fen merely glanced at him and did not answer the question.

“I wish to rest.”

“She’s been through enough already, please–” Oisin was not allowed to finish his sentence as his superior grabbed Mei Fen by her collar.

“Listen here! You are with us or against us. Tell me what you know or leave.” She gripped his forearm and suddenly he lacked the strength to clench his fist, giving him no choice but to release her. She looked at him with cold eyes.

“A child was murdered in front of my eyes because I was unable to save him. I suffered great injuries during the battle with the Peacekeepers and I was found by Krytan villagers who gave me shelter. They betrayed me and called one of the White Mantle to capture me, therefore I escaped. I was confronted by a Jade Bow, but I defeated it with my own powers.”

“I apologise. In these times we can never be too careful about those we trust. We appreciate that a stranger such as you went out of her way to help us.” He quickly left the tent.

“Don’t be mad at him. We’re in an open conflict and it’s to be expected that people are scared and confused.” Oisin paused and looked towards Mei Fen, but she was gazing in the opposite direction. “You didn’t tell me about the kid being killed or the thing with the villagers.”

“It did not seem to be of any importance.”

“Did they suffer?” She turned around to meet Oisin’s eyes and slightly frowned while tilting her head. “I mean the bastards who killed the kid. Did they suffer?” Her expression revealed satisfied and rightful vengeance.

“Yes, they suffered greatly.”

“Good.”

Night soon came and with the addition of new troops, Mei Fen had to share the tent with Oisin. She was not bothered by this aspect as much as she was by the particularly uncomfortable bedding. Being forced to sleep in such conditions for quite some time had begun to take a toll on her lower back, making her long for the soft flat mattresses from Cantha. However, she fell asleep rather quickly and began to dream. A white sky. Dark shadows. She had returned to the very same realm. A black figure approached.

“I did not summon you!” Uttered Mei Fen, confused by the strange occurrence.

“Yes, I know. However, I found what it was that you sought and I thought you would appreciate the early delivery.” She felt an unusually cold a ring slide on the middle finger of her left hand. “A weapon of shadow used greedily by the now fallen warlords. It had a way of reaching a new master immediately after the old one perished, but its last owner was far too attached. He took it with him into the Mists where he hoped to hold it for all eternity.”

“This is your solution? A wicked ring which brings damnation?”

“Not at all. The ring takes a different shape and name for each master. Your fate depends on how you use it.”

“Very well, I shall see what it is capable of.” She attempted to look at the new acquisition, but the black shroud would not permit it. “Thank you.”

“You are most wel...come...s...” Someone was shaking her.

“Wake up!” Oisin shook her one more time and she opened her eyes. “Are you alright? You were mumbling something and trembling.”

“I... do not know.” She heard a whisper. Looking down, she saw the ring: a simple silver band with a small black gemstone inserted. It spread a cold aura around it and he noticed it.

“What’s that?”

“It must be...” The whisper came yet again. “Saramut.”

The final part of chapter 1!

Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments.

ThorNoX · Dec 11, 2010, 08:26 AM // 08:26

As a foreigner I can can merley say that this type style of writing is very educative

Thank you.